moisture build-up on/under GPS screen

[mb taylor]

Has anyone had this problem? There seems to be a moisture build-up around the edges of the screen of my GPS unit. (Garmin 172C). I can honestly say that the unit has never been wet, or doused by a wave, etc. and if anything, only exposed to a little of the morning dew as a result of leaving the cover off overnight. Needless to say, it's just past the warranty period and I'm hoping that this isn't a bid deal to fix. It looks terrible, and I'm afraid that if it's left alone, the problem will just "creep" further and further into the whole of the screen area.

[bottomscraper]

I would contact Garmin, the 172C is rated as waterproof in accordance with IEC 60529 IPX7. A little dew or high humidity should not be a problem.

http://www.garmin.com/footnotes/IEC_60529_IPX7.html

[Joe CD MS 300]

My old GPSMap 12 started doing that a few months before the screen failed completely while I was in the BVI just before Hurricane Jose' hit. Good timing. If I remember correctly Garmin fixed it with no charge even though I was out of warranty.

[Oswego John]

Moisture seems to be the Public Enemy #1 to electronic gear. By all means, get in touch with the manufacturer to see what they can do for you. It must be a fairly recent purchase if it is just past the warranty date. Hopefully, their customer service will take this into account.

From time to time, we've had this problem occur in meters and other electronic and electrical equipment.There is moisture in the air, humidity, in most areas other than desert climates. This is very evident in coastal climates as the day ends and nightfall approaches.

What we do is place the unit in a covered box that contains one or two pads of desiccant, a form of silica gel. The desiccant absorbs moisture from whatever is in the box. About a day later, remove the desiccant sacs and apply warm heat to the sacs to remove the moisture from them. On a nice sunny day, you can lay them on the trunk or hood of your auto to dry out. If any traces of moisture remain, repeat the process.

When not being used for long periods, we store electronic gear in plastic baggies, along with one or more desiccant sacs.

I would suggest that if possible, keep portable gear below deck, out of the weather. If not movable, protect it with a weatherproof covering of some sort.

Good luck

O J